BlackBerry
From its humble origins in Waterloo, ON, in 1996, nobody expected the massive global success that the world’s first smartphone would become. Nobody, that is, except Jim Balsillie (Howerton). Taking a chance on then-struggling startup Research in Motion (RIM), he joins BlackBerry creators Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Johnson) as co-CEO. Together, they form a massive multinational tech giant, but the power and wealth soon begin to eat away at their relationship, putting everything they built into jeopardy.
Based loosely on the true story of the extraordinary development and spectacular demise of the BlackBerry, this high-stakes comedy featuring an all-star cast is a bona fide crowd pleaser and critical darling.
"An instant Canadian classic" – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
Director
Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson is an innovative and internationally recognized writer, actor, and director. He is the co-creator, writer, and star of the cult web series Nirvanna the Band the Show, which he adapted for television in 2016. His first two features, The Dirties and Operation Avalanche, received widespread recognition, and were featured at the Slamdance and Sundance film festivals respectively. His third feature, BlackBerry, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2023 to critical acclaim, and earned a record 17 Canadian Screen Award nominations.
Writers
Matt Johnson, Matthew Miller
Cast
Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, Kelly Van der Burg
Producers
Fraser Ash, Matthew Miller, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Biography, History
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Elevation Pictures